Bold Textured Mixed Media Tag with Designs By Zinski

This is the third project in my Art Inspirations  Designs By Zinski series, and this one took me slightly outside my usual comfort zone. The last two were definitely more “classic Lou,” but this time I wanted something a little quicker, more texture-led, and with stronger contrast - perfect when you want impact without a long crafting session.

This mixed media tag features the Just Be/Maisie stamp set on a raised, coloured, textured paste background.

Before I go any further, I did want to mention that Elena, the artist behind Designs By Zinski, is beginning to step back and move towards retirement. She’s not disappearing overnight, but things are gently shifting, and it felt important to acknowledge the incredible work she’s created over the years.

Going forward, Art Inspirations will be the place to find her physical stamp designs, and I feel very lucky to be able to continue creating with them and sharing ideas with you here.

The background:

I started the background by applying opaque white Distress Texture Paste through the Tim Holtz Roses #075 stencil onto a black mixed media tag. I really like this thick opaque paste because it dries relatively quickly, which is perfect for a fast project.

Once it was dry, I added colour using Personal Impressions Woodless Water Colour Pencils. Their opaque nature works superbly over the texture paste and takes the colour really well.

Next, using the "Just be" border stamp & white embossing powder, I edged the tag. 

Confession and mistake time: The main reason I did this was because I made my tag shape by drawing around the stencil edges. I completely forgot that the patterned area then doesn't go all the way to the edge, which left me with a slightly awkward border!

The embossed edge saved the day and disguised that little oops - I hope that makes sense?

Just Be/Maisie image:

On a piece of water colour card, I stamped the beautiful Just Be/Maisie image, colouring with my Pi Pencils. Once dry, I cut her out and secured her in place with gel medium which helps create a stronger bond with the textured surface underneath.

The image itself is lovely to colour - all the line detail really helps with shading, so it comes together quite quickly.

A quick, slightly more dramatic tag… and one I really enjoyed making.

Previous Art Inspirations Designs By Zinski projects:

Want to see my other projects in this series? Click on the images below to head over to the blog posts.

 

I’ve genuinely loved creating with this collection and can’t wait to share a few more ideas with you.

If you haven’t already, you can follow the blog using the “Follow Me” section in the sidebar.

This has turned into a bit of a series, and I’m really enjoying seeing how differently these stamps can be used from one project to the next.

Until next time,

Lou
xxx